New York Senior Action Council executive director Maria Alvarez speaks during a talk on elder economic security in New York State during the New York Senior Action Council's 4oth annual convention in Saratoga Springs, NY Wednesday Oct. 10, 2012. (Michael P. Farrell/Times Union) less

New York Senior Action Council executive director Maria Alvarez speaks during a talk on elder economic security in New York State during the New York Senior Action Council's 4oth annual convention in Saratoga ... more

New York Senior Action Council public policy consultant Michael Burgess speaks about senior health care during the New York Senior Action Council's 40th annual convention in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Wednesday ... more

Photo: Michael P. Farrell

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Senior groups rally over care issue

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SARATOGA SPRINGS — Battling groups of senior citizens on either side of the debate over Medicare are making their voices heard in an effort to influence the outcome of several neck-and-neck congressional races in upstate New York.

For weeks, voters have heard President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney trade barbs and accusations regarding the health care insurance program for seniors. Republicans allege Democrats are gutting the program with cuts; Democrats claim Republicans want to eventually privatize the system through the shift to vouchers.

Amid the din, the New York Senior Action Council is launching a "March for Medicare" bus tour on Thursday with events in Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo — three cities in which House hopefuls are locked in tight races.

Their message: Don't privatize or voucherize the program.

"They need to listen to what seniors are saying," said Michael Burgess of the Senior Action Council, referring to congressional candidates. "They're saying, 'We like Medicare. It's kept us out of poverty.'"

But the 27th District outside of Buffalo is where the Medicare issue may be the most salient. There, first-term Democrat Kathy Hochul won a surprise victory in the largely Republican district over Jane Corwin in last year's special election.

Many attributed Hochul's win to a backlash against Republicans after Congressman Paul Ryan, now Romney's running mate, offered a plan that would voucherize parts of Medicare. Hochul managed to tie Corwin to the voucher concept in the eyes of voters.

Burgess stressed the Senior Action Council makes no endorsements. But their views on Medicare are more in sync with Democrats than Republicans.

During Wednesday's meeting at the Holiday Inn, council members gave an award to Maurice Hinchey, a retiring Democratic congressman from the Mid-Hudson Valley.

Thursday's planned trips to Central and Western New York come less than a month after another senior group, the 60 Plus Association, brought its own tour to the Syracuse area, where they honored Buerkle, as they did in 2010.

The association calls itself a conservative alternative to AARP, which has been criticized by Republicans over the years for some of its stands. The association has run bus tours in other similar battleground districts.

After their Syracuse stop, 60 Plus traveled to the Buffalo area, where they honored Republican Chris Collins, a former Erie County executive who is taking on Hochul.

Representatives of 60 Plus couldn't be reached on Wednesday.

That fact that opposing senior groups are squaring off over Medicare in Central and Western New York isn't a surprise, said Bruce Gyory, a political consultant and adjunct professor at the University at Albany. (Gyory generally works with Democrats but is not involved in these congressional races.)

But he notes that the regions have a lot of senior voters. And the 2010 race in which Hochul's win was attributed to a backlash against the Ryan plan, is still fresh in the minds of both Democratic and Republican strategists.

"Obviously the Republicans have not ceded the issue and are fighting back," Gyory said.

While there is focus on congressional races, Medicare is less of an issue in down-ballot contests, including races for the state Legislature.

Burgess noted Republicans in the closely divided state Senate, for example, have steered clear of Ryan-esque ideas like vouchers and have joined Democrats in fighting cuts to senior health programs.